The present invention relates to bandages, and more particularly to pressure bandages.
It is a common procedure to aspirate arterial blood with a needle and syringe to obtain a blood sample. After removal of the needle from the blood vessel, it is the recommended procedure in a hospital for the attendant, such as a nurse, to apply pressure to the site for approximately five minutes. Other than for special patients, pressure is applied to the site not necessarily to prevent bleeding, but to prevent a local hematoma.
Normally blood will pass from the vessel through the puncture site to the skin where it will clot. However, if pressure is not applied to the puncture site, blood will collect subcutaneously, and if contaminated through blood adjacent the skin, could lead to a local hematoma, resulting in soreness at the puncture site. In unusual situations, where unattended, the local hematoma may lead to septicemia, a possible morbid condition. Thus, pressure is applied to the puncture site to prevent the subcutaneous collection of blood and local hematoma, without applying sufficient pressure to cut off circulation of blood.
Certain patients, for example, diabetics and hemophiliacs, may continue to bleed if left unattended. Some patients may be placed on a heparin therapy after cardio-vascular surgery, and will continue to bleed after aspiration of arterial or venous blood, samples of which are periodically necessary for analysis. Sometimes the susceptibility of the patient to excessive bleeding is unknown, and pressure is applied to the puncture site as a precaution to determine whether prolonged bleeding will be present.